The pardon he took back

Among the pardons issued by President George W. Bush as he prepares to leave office was a pardon for Isaac Toussie, who was convicted in 2001 of mail fraud and of making false statements to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, charges that stemmed from a mortgage fraud scheme. However, shortly after the pardon was issued, it was revoked by the White House and ordered to be reviewed more thoroughly after allegations came to light that Toussie’s father donated almost $40,000 to various Republicans in 2008. Additionally, Toussie and his father are defendants in an active lawsuit related to the charges Toussie was convicted of:

Toussie and his father, also a developer, are defendants in a lawsuit filed in New York federal court on behalf of more than 400 minority home purchasers who allege a conspiracy involving racial steering, racketeering and fraud related to homes the Toussies built on Staten Island, attorney Peter Seidman told CNN.

What I’d like to know is how and why Isaac Toussie was cleared for a pardon despite these lingering problems related to his father’s political activities and the pending lawsuit. Who determined Toussie was “good to go” for pardon, and I’d also like to know how and why he was even selected as a candidate for a pardon in the first place, given the red flags surrounding his situation.

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